Fenway rollicks as Boston clinches at home for first time since 1918

Fenway Park is set up for Game 6 of the 2013 World Series. - (Charlie Riedel / The Associated Press)Former Boston Red Sox Hall of Famer Carlton Fisk (right) sports a fake beard as he and three-time All-Star Luis Tiant throw out the ceremonial first pitches before Game 6. - (Matt Slocum / The Associated Press)In a multiple exposure, St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Michael Wacha throws during the first inning. - (Matt Slocum / The Associated Press)In a multiple exposure, Boston Red Sox starting pitcher John Lackey throws during the first inning. - (Matt Slocum / The Associated Press)St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Michael Wacha throws during the first inning. - (Chris Carlson / The Associated Press)St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina waits for the throw as Boston Red Sox's Jonny Gomes heads for home plate. - (Matt Slocum / The Associated Press)Boston Red Sox's Jonny Gomes slides safely past St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina during the third inning. - (Matt Slocum / The Associated Press)St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina looks back as home plate umpire Adam Wainwright call Boston Red Sox's Jonny Gomes safe on a three-run RBI double by Shane Victorino. - (Matt Slocum / The Associated Press)Boston Red Sox's Jonny Gomes reacts after scoring during the third inning. - (David J. Phillip / The Associated Press)Boston Red Sox's Shane Victorino reacts after driving in three runs with a double during the third inning. - (Tribune Media MCT)Boston Red Sox right fielder Shane Victorino celebrates after hitting a three-run RBI double during the third inning. - (Matt Slocum / The Associated Press)Boston Red Sox's Dustin Pedroia breaks his bat as the grounds out during the third inning. - (Charlie Riedel / The Associated Press)Boston Red Sox short stop Stephen Drew (left) throws over St. Louis Cardinals' Matt Carpenter to turn a double play on a hit by Carlos Beltran during the third inning. - (Elise Amendola / The Associated Press)St. Louis Cardinals third baseman David Freese (left) watches as catcher Yadier Molina (right) pats starting pitcher Michael Wacha on the head as he is taken out of the game during the fourth inning. - (Matt Slocum / The Associated Press)St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Michael Wacha walks off the field after being taken out of the game during the fourth inning. - (Matt Slocum / The Associated Press)Boston Red Sox's Jacoby Ellsbury gets past St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Kevin Siegrist as he makes it safely back to first base on a rundown during the fifth inning. - (Charlie Riedel / The Associated Press)Boston Red Sox pitcher John Lackey yells to manager John Farrell to stay in the game to face Matt Holliday in the seventh inning. - (Chris Lee / St. Louis Post-Dispatch / MCT)Boston Red Sox pitcher John Lackey tips his cap to the crowd as he is relieved in the seventh inning. - (Chris Lee / St. Louis Post-Dispatch / MCT)Boston Red Sox right fielder Shane Victorino leaps to catch Yadier Molina's line drive in the eighth inning. - (Chris Lee / St. Louis Post-Dispatch / MCT)The St. Louis Cardinals watch from the dugout in the eighth inning - (Chris Lee / St. Louis Post-Dispatch / MCT)The St. Louis Cardinals' Matt Carpenter (right) walks off after striking out to end the game as the the Boston Red Sox begin to celebrate their World Series win. - (Robert Cohen / St. Louis Post-Dispatch / MCT)The St. Louis Cardinals' David Freese has one last look at the celebrating Boston Red Sox before leaving the dugout. - (Robert Cohen / St. Louis Post-Dispatch / MCT)Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Koji Uehara (pointing skyward) jumps into David Ross's arms after defeating the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 6 of baseball's World Series Wednesday in Boston, Mass. The Red Sox won 6-1 to win the series. - (Matt Slocum / The Associated Press)The Boston Red Sox celebrate after defeating the St. Louis Cardinals. - (Charlie Riedel / The Associated Press)Boston Red Sox manager John Farrell and David Ortiz celebrate. - (Matt Slocum / The Associated Press)Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz holds up the MVP trophy while being interviewed. - (Matt Slocum / The Associated Press)Boston Red Sox's David Ortiz drinks out of a giant bottle of Champagne as he celebrates with teammates. - (David J. Phillip / The Associated Press)Boston Red Sox's David Ortiz celebrates with teammates. - (David J. Phillip / The Associated Press)

Hey there, time traveller!This article was published 30/10/2013 (1135 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

BOSTON -- There hasn't been a party like this in New England for nearly a century.

Turmoil to triumph. Worst to first.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

David Ortiz and the Boston Red Sox, baseball's bearded wonders, capped their remarkable turnaround by beating the St. Louis Cardinals 6-1 in Game 6 on Wednesday night to win their third World Series championship in 10 seasons.

Shane Victorino, symbolic of these resilient Sox, returned from a stiff back and got Boston rolling with a three-run double off the Green Monster against rookie sensation Michael Wacha.

John Lackey became the first pitcher to start and win a Series clincher for two different teams, allowing one run over 6 2-3 innings 11 years after his Game 7 victory as an Angels rookie in 2002.

'I say I work inside a museum, but this is the loudest the museum's been in a long time'

-- Bosox outfielder Jonny Gomes

With fans roaring on every pitch and cameras flashing, Koji Uehara struck out Matt Carpenter for the final out. The Japanese pitcher jumped into the arms of catcher David Ross while Red Sox players rushed from the dugout and bullpen as the Boston theme Dirty Water played on the public-address system.

"I say I work inside a museum, but this is the loudest the museum's been in a long time," outfielder Jonny Gomes said.

And the Red Sox didn't have to fly the trophy home. For the first time since Babe Ruth's team back in 1918, Boston won the title at Fenway Park. The 101-year-old ballpark, oldest in the majors, was packed with 38,447 singing, shouting fans anticipating a celebration 95 years in the making.

There wasn't the cowboy-up comeback charm of "The Idiots" from 2004, who swept St. Louis to end an 86-year title drought. There wasn't that cool efficiency of the 2007 team that swept Colorado.

This time, they were Boston Strong -- playing for a city shaken by the marathon bombings in April.

After late-season slumps in 2010 and 2011, the embarrassing revelations of a chicken-and-beer clubhouse culture that contributed to the ouster of manager Terry Francona, and the daily tumult of Bobby Valentine's one-year flop, these Red Sox grew on fans.

Just like the long whiskers on the players' faces, starting with Gomes' scruffy spring training beard.

"As soon as we went to Fort Myers, the movie's already been written," Gomes said. "All we had to do was press play, and this is what happened."

Ortiz, the only player remaining from the 2004 champs, was the MVP after a Ruthian World Series. He batted .688 (11 for 16) with two homers, six RBIs and eight walks -- including four in the finale -- for a .760 on-base percentage in 25 plate appearances.

Even slumping Stephen Drew delivered a big hit in Game 6, sending Wacha's first pitch of the fourth into the right-centre bullpen.

By the time the inning was over, RBI singles by Mike Napoli and Victorino had made it 6-0, and the Red Sox were on their way.

And now, all over New England, from Connecticut's Housatonic River up to the Aroostook in Maine, Boston's eighth championship can be remembered for the beard-yanking bonding.

The win capped an emotional season for the Red Sox, one heavy with the memory of the events that unfolded on Patriots Day, when three people were killed and more than 260 wounded in bombing attacks at the Boston Marathon. The Red Sox wore "Boston Strong" logos on their left sleeves and erected a large emblem on the Green Monster as a constant reminder.

A "B Strong" logo was mowed into centre-field grass at Fenway.

"All those that were affected in the tragedy -- Boston Strong!" Victorino said.

Red, white and blue fireworks fired over the ballpark as Commissioner Bud Selig presented the World Series trophy to Red Sox owners John Henry, Tom Werner and Larry Lucchino, leaving a smoky haze over the field.

"It was an awesome atmosphere here tonight," Lackey said.

Among the players blamed for the indifferent culture at the end of the Francona years, Lackey took the mound two days shy of the second anniversary of his elbow surgery and got his first Series win since the 2002 clincher. He pitched shutout ball into the seventh, when Carlos Beltran's RBI single ended the Cardinals' slump with runners in scoring position at 0 for 14.

Junichi Tazawa came in with the bases loaded and retired Allen Craig on an inning-ending grounder to first. Brandon Workman followed in the eighth and Uehara finished.

St. Louis had been seeking its second title in three seasons, but the Cardinals sputtered. Symbolic of the team's struggles, reliever Trevor Rosenthal tripped while throwing a pitch to Ortiz in the eighth, balking Dustin Pedroia to second.

After falling behind 2-1, the Red Sox closed with three straight wins over St. Louis in a Series that featured a couple of crazy finishes and game-turning calls.

History

Updated on Thursday, October 31, 2013 at 10:32 AM CDT: adds slideshow

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